Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
The biggest topic of conversation around Sekiro that many people remember is the lack of an easy mode. Most of the time people completely forget to mention how beautiful this game truly is in action and in screenshots.
This image gives you a wonderful view of everything that makes Sekiro a fantastic game. The action shot is thrilling and draws your attention. However, the view of the traditional Japanese architecture in the background is just as impressive.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Star Wars is well-known for being visually immaculate in film, and the games are no different. Jedi: Fallen Order is a gorgeous game that faithfully captures the feeling of being a Jedi.
This screenshot isn’t incredibly colorful compared to some other environments from the Star Wars universe. Yet, the pack of imposing AT-ATs look as intimidating as ever and Cal standing on one by himself makes for a truly epic screenshot.
Sea of Solitude
Sea of Solitude was visually extraordinary when it showed at E3 and then it seemed to be mostly forgotten by the time it came out. It’s truly a shame that this work of art has mostly been overlooked.
This gorgeous screenshot is just a small taste of what Sea of Solitude has to offer. There are points that are extremely colorful, but this sorrowful black and gray image shows off the distinctive art style of this beautiful game.
Kingdom Hearts III
Somehow Kingdom Hearts III released and was a real video game that didn’t let down most fans of the series. It was truly a miracle. What was even more miraculous was the inclusion of Pixar worlds for the first time.
The Toy Box world was an overwhelming rush of nostalgia for Toy Story and Kingdom Hearts. Better yet, this screenshot looks like it’s something straight out of the original movie. It’s truly impressive to see how far game graphics have come.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty gets a bad rap for being an annualized title, but there’s no denying the eye-catching visuals that Infinity Ward packed into Modern Warfare. These games always look fantastic.
This screenshot is reminiscent of the PS3 and 360 days where shades of brown were the dominant colors in CoD. The lighting and details are gorgeous, but the unappealing colors truly show the ugliness of war.
Days Gone
I was skeptical about Days Gone when it was revealed up until release, and then it turned out to be an average to below-average title. It certainly couldn’t compare to the other PS4 exclusives like God of War, Spider-Man, and Bloodborne.
Despite all that negativity, it’s clear in this screenshot that Days Gone is undeniably a stunning game with some of the best visuals of the generation. The wonderfully lush scenery here looks remarkably realistic.
Devil May Cry V
The action of Devil May Cry is fast and if you blink you might miss it. That’s pretty typical with these games, but so are the mind-blowing set-pieces, terrifying enemies, and monstrous bosses.
This wonderful screenshot features a close-up of Nero slashing through a lowly Empusa. Seeing a still of a DMC game is a bit confusing because of the breakneck pace of the gameplay and cutscenes, but DMC V’s action looks just as incredible in screenshot form.
Death Stranding
Death Stranding will likely win multiple awards for its graphics alone and there’s no question why. It’s arguably one of the best-looking games to come out on any console or PC in 2019.
This screenshot of our introduction to the character Fragile is one of the most iconic shots from Death Stranding. The verdant countryside rises and falls in the background as Fragile stands with her objectively well-designed umbrella in the foreground.
Luigi’s Mansion 3
Luigi’s Mansion 3 was the surprise of the year when it came to good-looking games. The smaller contained spaces helped the Switch with processing impressive lighting, reflections, and a massive number of moving pieces on screen.
This closeup screenshot of Luigi helps you see the high amount of love and dedication that went into making Luigi look great. This shot looks absolutely fantastic for a Switch title and features Luigi in a terrified pose.
Control
There were many happy surprises this year and Control was one of the biggest joys of the year. The smart story and unique gameplay make for a truly different experience in the best way possible.
This incredible screenshot looks almost like a surrealist painting with all the floating bodies. Better yet, the way the shadows on the wall change when they’re shining through an open window as opposed to the section with blinds makes this still look incredibly lifelike.
Life is Strange 2
The supremely well-written Life is Strange series is often praised for its solid story and characters. However, the amount of detail that goes into creating the world is just as worthy of praise.
In this screenshot we see Sean and Daniel Diaz surrounded by a glorious scene with pine trees, leaves changing colors, and some absolutely brilliant sunshine. It’s an awe-inspiring scene that rivals even some of the most lifelike games.
Resident Evil 2
The Resident Evil 2 remake has redefined how people look at classic games that have been brought up to the current generation. The gameplay was updated for 2019 and the graphics were absolutely stunning.
This is almost the quintessential Resident Evil 2 screenshot. You have your infected enemies in a poorly lit, tiny room. Even just looking at this picture starts to get your heart racing.
Outer Worlds
For a game that isn’t considered to be especially beautiful, Outer Worlds has some breathtaking views. It’s not incredibly realistic, but the futuristic space setting makes for some other-worldly views.
The gun looks alright here and the trees could be better, but holy crap is that planet floating in the sky is something else. The bizarre coloring of the vegetation and the heavenly bodying the background make this a sensational screenshot.
Sayonara Wild Hearts
While much of the industry keeps pushing the limits of how true to life games can look, developer Simogo decided they would make Sayonara Wild Hearts. And how blessed are we that they did.
The overall look of this screenshot is a prime example of the wonderous visuals in Sayonara Wild hearts. It won’t blow you away with realism, but this image fills your field of vision with wonderfully bright and intense colors.
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
I’m blown away by how gorgeous Ace Combat 7 looks. It’ll be interesting to see how Microsoft Flight Simulator looks next year, but for now, Ace Combat holds the title of best-looking flight sim of the generation.
The way the glare of the sun reflects off of the nearby aircraft looks absolutely incredible. The minute details of the cockpit in the screenshot also look stellar and the massive tufts of white clouds in the background appear impossibly real.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
This screenshot gives you a wonderful view of everything that makes Sekiro a fantastic game. The action shot is thrilling and draws your attention. However, the view of the traditional Japanese architecture in the background is just as impressive.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
This screenshot isn't incredibly colorful compared to some other environments from the Star Wars universe. Yet, the pack of imposing AT-ATs looks as intimidating as ever and Cal standing on one by himself makes for a truly epic screenshot.
Sea of Solitude
This gorgeous screenshot is just a small taste of what Sea of Solitude has to offer. There are points that are extremely colorful, but this sorrowful black and gray image shows off the distinctive art style of this beautiful game.
Kingdom Hearts III
The Toy Box world was an overwhelming rush of nostalgia for Toy Story and Kingdom Hearts. Better yet, this screenshot looks like it's something straight out of the original movie. It's truly impressive to see how far game graphics have come.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
This screenshot is reminiscent of the PS3 and 360 days where shades of brown were the dominant colors in CoD. The lighting and details are gorgeous, but the unappealing colors truly show the ugliness of war.
Days Gone
Despite all that negativity, it's clear in this screenshot that Days Gone is undeniably a stunning game with some of the best visuals of the generation. The wonderfully lush scenery here looks remarkably realistic.
Devil May Cry V
This wonderful screenshot features a close-up of Nero slashing through a lowly Empusa. Seeing a still of a DMC game is a bit confusing because of the breakneck pace of the gameplay and cutscenes, but DMC V's action looks just as incredible in screenshot form.
Death Stranding
This screenshot of our introduction to the character Fragile is one of the most iconic shots from Death Stranding. The verdant countryside rises and falls in the background as Fragile stands with her objectively well-designed umbrella in the foreground.
Luigi's Mansion 3
This closeup screenshot of Luigi helps you see the high amount of love and dedication that went into making Luigi look great. This shot looks absolutely fantastic for a Switch title and features Luigi in a terrified pose.
Control
This incredible screenshot looks almost like a surrealist painting with all the floating bodies. Better yet, the way the shadows on the wall change when they're shining through an open window as opposed to the section with blinds makes this still look incredibly lifelike.
Life is Strange 2
In this screenshot we see Sean and Daniel Diaz surrounded by a glorious scene with pine trees, leaves changing colors, and some absolutely brilliant sunshine. It's an awe-inspiring scene that rivals even some of the most lifelike games.
Resident Evil 2
This is almost the quintessential Resident Evil 2 screenshot. You have your infected enemies in a poorly lit, tiny room. Even just looking at this picture starts to get your heart racing.
Outer Worlds
The gun looks alright here and the trees could be better, but holy crap is that planet floating in the sky is something else. The bizarre coloring of the vegetation and the heavenly bodying the background make this a sensational screenshot.
Sayonara Wild Hearts
The overall look of this screenshot is a prime example of the wondrous visuals in Sayonara Wild Hearts. It won't blow you away with realism, but this image fills your field of vision with wonderfully bright and intense colors.
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
The way the glare of the sun reflects off of the nearby aircraft looks absolutely incredible. The minute details of the cockpit in the screenshot also look stellar and the massive tufts of white clouds in the background appear impossibly real.
About the author
Omar Banat
Omar is a UofM Duluth graduate who is obsessed with Smash Bros. Video games are life, but life is not video games. Playing Games Since: 1991, Favorite Genres: Puzzle, Platformer, Action-Adventure (mainly Metroidvanias)